Kathmandu is the capital and largest city of Nepal, with a population of around 1 million. Also known as the city of temples. The city stands at an elevation of approximately 1,400 metres above sea level in the bowl-shaped Kathmandu Valley in central Nepal. The valley was historically called the "Nepal Mandala" and has been the home of the Newar people, a cosmopolitan urban civilization in the Himalayan foothills. The city was the royal capital of the Kingdom of Nepal and hosts palaces, mansions and gardens of the Nepalese aristocracy. It has been home to the headquarters of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) since 1985. Today, it is the seat of government of the Nepalese republic, established in 2008, and is part of the Bagmati Province.
Tribhuwan Bir Bikram Shah was King of Nepal from 11 December 1911 until his death. Born in Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal, he ascended to the throne at the age of five, upon the death of his father, Prithvi Bir Bikram Shah, and was crowned on 20 February 1913 at the Nasal Chowk, Hanuman Dhoka Palace in Kathmandu, with his mother acting as regent. At the time of his crowning, the position of monarch was largely ceremonial, with the real governing power residing with the Rana family.
Lalitpur Metropolitan City, historically Patan, is the third largest city of Nepal after Kathmandu and Pokhara, and it is located in the south-central part of Kathmandu Valley, a new metropolitan city of Nepal. Lalitpur is also known as Manigal. It is best known for its rich cultural heritage, particularly its tradition of arts and crafts. It is city renowned for its festival and feast, fine ancient art, and the making of metallic and stone carved statues. At the time of the 2011 Nepal census it had a population of 226,728 in 54,748 individual households. The city received extensive damage from an earthquake on 25 April 2015.
The Kathmandu Valley, historically known as Nepal Valley or Nepa Valley, lies at the crossroads of ancient civilizations of the Indian subcontinent and the broader Asian continent, and has at least 130 important monuments, including several pilgrimage sites for Hindus and Buddhists. There are seven World Heritage Sites within the valley.
Radio Nepal is the state-owned Radio broadcasting organisation of Nepal, which was established on 2 April 1951. Initially, the transmission lasted for 4 hours and 30 minutes through a 250-watt short-wave transmitter. Over the years, Radio Nepal has strengthened its institutional capacity considerably and diversified itself in terms of programme format, technical efficiency and coverage. Radio Nepal airs programmes on short wave medium wave (AM) and FM frequencies.
A dhunge dhara or hiti (Newari) is a traditional stone drinking fountain found in Nepal. It is an intricately carved stone waterway through which water flows uninterrupted from underground sources. Dhunge dharas are part of a comprehensive drinking water supply system, commissioned by various rulers of Ancient and Medieval Nepal. The system is supported by numerous ponds and canals that form an elaborate network of water bodies, created as a water resource during the dry season and to help alleviate the water pressure caused by the monsoon rains. After the introduction of modern, piped water systems, starting in the late 19th century, this old system has fallen into disrepair and some parts of it are lost forever. Nevertheless, many people of Nepal still rely on the old hitis on a daily basis.
The Federal Parliament of Nepal is the bicameral federal and supreme legislature of Nepal established in 2018. It consists of the National Assembly as the upper house and the House of Representatives as the lower house.
Newa architecture is an indigenous style of architecture used by the Newari people in the Kathmandu valley in Nepal. It is a style used in buildings ranging from stupas and chaitya monastery buildings to courtyard structures and distinctive houses. The style is marked by striking brick work and a unique style of wood carving rarely seen outside Nepal. The style has been propagated by Nepalese architects including Arniko.
Singha Durbar is a palace in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. The palace complex lies in the centre of Kathmandu, to the north of the Babar Mahal and Thapathali Durbar and east of Bhadrakali Temple. This palace was built by Chandra Shumsher JBR in June 1908. The palace used to be one of the most exquisite and lavish of palaces in the world until the 1950s. Today it houses buildings of the Nepali Government, including the Pratinidhi Sabha, the Rastriya Sabha and several ministries.
The Rastrapati Bhawan is the official residence of the President of Nepal, located in Kathmandu, Nepal. It hosts the Office of The President of Nepal. The main palace building was and still is known as Sital Niwas. It was built by Rana Prime Minister Chandra Shumsher JBR in 1923.
Dharahara, also called Bhimsen Sthambha(भिमसेन स्तम्भ), is a twenty two-storey, 61.88-metre-tall (203.0 ft) tower at the centre of Sundhara, Kathmandu, Nepal. It was first built in 1832 by Mukhtiyar Bhimsen Thapa under the commission of Queen Lalit Tripurasundari and was a part of the architecture of Kathmandu recognized by UNESCO. It has been damaged and reconstructed several times.
Chaudhary Group is a multi-national conglomerate headquartered in Nepal. Its businesses include financial services, consumer goods, education, hospitality, energy, consumer electronics, real estate, biotech, and alternative medicine. The group owns 136 companies in 15 different business verticals across five continents.
Singha Sārtha Aju is a merchant in Nepalese folklore. According to tradition, he is the first Newar merchant of Kathmandu to travel to Tibet, and his story is one of the most loved legends in Newar society. Singha Sartha is also considered to be a previous incarnation of the Buddha.
Maru is a historic neighborhood in central Kathmandu, Nepal and one of the most important cultural spots in the city. It is linked with the origin of the name Kathmandu, and forms part of what is generically known as Durbar Square, the old royal palace complexes of temples, shrines and palace buildings all of which have been declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Neapalese Sikhs first entered Nepal in the 18th century. Today, there is a small community of Sikhs living in Nepal, totaling around 7,000 people according to the 2011 census.
Ram Prasad Rai was a Nepali revolutionary, guerrilla leader, military theorist and organizer of the Liberation Army in East part of Nepal. Rai was a major figure of Nepal's Revolution of 1951. Following the Revolution, Rai never accepted the outcome of the revolution and continued fighting against the Ranas.
Thapathali Durbar was a palace complex in Kathmandu, the capital of the Nepal. Thapathali means abode of the Thapas. It was initially built by Nain Singh Thapa of the Thapa dynasty but was later occupied by Jung Bahadur Rana, as prime minister, the executive head of Nepal. The palace complex, located north of the Bagmati river, encompasses an impressive and vast array of courtyards, gardens, and buildings. Many palaces and buildings were built throughout late 1840s to 1900, initially by Nain Singh Thapa, a member of the aristocratic Thapa family and brother of Bhimsen Thapa, and later was acquired by Nain Singh Thapa's grandson Jung Bahadur Rana. Further additions were made by successive Ranas up to the 19th century.
Bibeksheel Nepali Dal is a political party in Nepal. The name "Bibeksheel" translates to "common sense wisdom".
The COVID-19 pandemic in Nepal is part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. The first case in Nepal was confirmed on 23 January 2020 when a 31-year-old student, who had returned to Kathmandu from Wuhan on 9 January, tested positive for the disease. It was also the first recorded case of COVID-19 in South Asia. Nepal's first case of local transmission was confirmed on 4 April in Kailali District. The first death occurred on 14 May. A country-wide lockdown came into effect on 24 March 2020, and ended on 21 July 2020. As of 6 July 2021, the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) has confirmed a total of 648,085 cases, 612,994 recoveries, and 9,263 deaths in the country. In the meantime, 3,383,544 real-time RT-PCR (RT-qPCR) tests have been performed in 40 laboratories across the country. The viral disease has been detected in all provinces and districts of the country, with Bagmati Province and Kathmandu being the worst hit province and district respectively. As for Nepalese abroad, as of 26 July 2020, the Non-Resident Nepali Association has reported a total of 12,667 confirmed cases, 16,190 recoveries, and 161 deaths across 35 countries.
Nuwakot Palace is a palace built by Nepal's first king Prithvi Narayan Shah in the 18th century and is located in Nuwakot, Bidur Municipality.
